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Pause the Planet

There is a positive side of life coming fast when good, positive, adrenaline-filled momentum is surrounding you. If you haven’t experienced this kind of fast, then I suggest you put that on your bucket list. Momentum is crazy . . and fun.

So what about the other side? I was in a place recently where the challenges and difficult emotions of life seemed to be coming into my space non-stop. I wanted some space to clear my head, organize my thoughts and emotions, so I could move forward in a positive way.

Three weeks on a beach in Maui seems a reasonable amount of time and location! Ok, so that isn’t going to happen today, but it would still be nice if life had a pause button.

One of the favorite movies in our house is Megamind. When the goody two-shoes hero, MetroMan, finds himself trapped he takes time out to reflect and consider his options. He slows down all of life around him (actually he is just incredibly fast) and sees life from a new perspective. I would love to pause life. Imagine a situation unfolding – pause – step back, remember the love and compassion I have for people involved, then proceed with wise, thought-out words and actions.

I do not live in a world where I can pause everything around me, but I can still pause. There are some “pauses” I take each day that make a difference.

Pause #1: Alarm Clock

When my alarm goes off in the morning I do not jump right out of bed. Joe will gladly verify this fact! When I push the snooze button and when I sit up on the edge of the bed, these are opportunities to pause. I drink a glass of water first thing (put by my bed the night before) and this is a chance for me to be thankful for another day and center my thoughts and feelings before I greet another human being.

Pause #2: God Time

I have a pause time with God that I schedule into each day. God has so much wisdom for me and I am in desperate need of wisdom as I do business, parenting, marriage, home-management, etc. My connection with God gives me strength and courage to face the challenges of the day. If you don’t have a relationship with God, I encourage you to seek out Him and His wisdom.

Pause #3: Time Out

Sometimes I need a time-out. I will tell my kids, “Mom’s having a rough day and should probably take a time-out.” The kids are very understanding, have experienced time-outs themselves, and I often have the best power-naps during a mom time-out! This is another opportunity to use 15 minutes to change the trajectory of your day, the view of your circumstance, or your attitude.

Living the extraordinary life is not about having it all together or running through all of life Mach 1 with your hair on fire. Take some wisdom from MetroMan and pause.

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2 comments on “Pause the Planet”

The pause of life is a wonderful thing. Sometimes at work it is a walk to another building for no reason whatsoever. Just to step away from what I am exasperated with and into something unknown. Good thoughts, and good to see you back!